On 6 February 1952 a young married Princess, who was on official Commonwealth duty in Africa, received word of her dear father’s untimely death. Those around her say their immediate reaction was, "Poor Elizabeth to have lost her beloved Papa." Their second reaction was, "Poor Elizabeth for now she is Queen!" They were of course referring to the amazing mantle of responsibility that had been placed upon so young a woman. She was only 26 and they knew her life would never again be her own.

She returned to England as Queen Elizabeth. Though she looked somber, she never broke down in public. Her serenity, poise and composure were the people’s second indication of her suitability to the role fate had handed her. The first was a speech she delivered on another Commonwealth tour of Africa on the occasion of her 21^st birthday. On that day she vowed:

‘I declare before you all, that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great Imperial Commonwealth to which we all belong. But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do; I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God bless all of you who are willing to share it.’

On that April day in 1947 there were millions who were willing to join in and share it. The many people who felt they owed so much to the House of Windsor, led by her father, George VI, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth, which led them through the horrors of WWII. They were grateful to the King and Queen for their daily visits to the victims of the nightly bombings. They were comforted to know that their King and Queen had never left them for a safe haven, but stayed with them to live through the perils of war. The people appreciated their monarchs’ devotion and were touched by young Elizabeth’s vow to dedicate her life to them. Willingly, they pledged their support to her. Who would have guessed that a young girl could have made a solemn vow and kept it for over fifty years – even when her subjects broke their vow to her. Where did she find the strength to go on even when it seemed that so many had turned against her and the institution that she has devoted her life to? The answer she has given us in this year’s Christmas broadcast - faith.

The Queen, as head of the Church of England, is expected to uphold and adhere to the doctrines of the Christian Faith that she committed herself to on her Coronation 2^nd June 1953. As part of that service she swore the following before God and all:

Archbishop: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel?

Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law?

Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England?

The Queen’s reply: All this I promise to do.

In this Christmas Broadcast she publicly addressed her Christian faith, but on a very personal level. "To many of us our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life." She added, "I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example."  I wonder if she was thinking of Matthew 17:20, in which Matthew quotes Christ as saying, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

The Queen’s speech, called a sermon by some, also contained other insights into her convictions. "Christmas is the traditional, if not the actual, birthday of a man who was destined to change the course of our history. And today we are celebrating the fact that Jesus Christ was born 2000 years ago; this the true Millennium anniversary.  

"Many will have been inspired by Jesus' simple but powerful teaching: love God and love thy neighbour as thyself - in other words, treat others as you would like them to treat you. His great emphasis was to give spirituality a practical purpose."  

Earlier this year she had a very successful visit with a neighbor, John Paul II, head of the Roman Catholic Church. During her visit to the Vatican the Queen noted the good works of the Pope especially his focus on bridging the gap between the two religions, a source of division in Northern Ireland. "I am pleased to note the important progress that has been made in overcoming historic differences between Anglicans and Roman Catholics." "We are most grateful for your help and support for this process." During this visit John Paul II honored her with these words, "For many years now and through times of great change you have reigned with a dignity and sense of duty which have edified millions of people around the world."

In this speech, of a most personal note, she left no member of the ‘Imperial Commonwealth to which we all belong’ out by adding, "Whether we believe in God or not, I think most of us have a sense of the spiritual, that recognition of a deeper meaning and purpose in our lives, and I believe that this sense flourishes despite the pressures of our world." 

"This spirituality can be seen in the teachings of other great faiths. Of course religion can be divisive, but the Bible, the Koran and the sacred texts of the Jews and Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs are all sources of divine inspiration and practical guidance passed down through the generations."

She closed with these words from the 1928 Book of Prayers, "Go forth into the world in peace, be of good courage, hold fast that which is good, render to no man evil for evil, strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the afflicted, honour all men."

In all these years I’ve imagined that Elizabeth II ruled so well because she had devoted herself to her people and her duty. It was certainly inspiring to me, that she would share with all of us, that her strength comes from her faith in the teachings of the Church that she is head of and personal accountability before God. With her Church and its teachings as her foundation and her willingness to take responsibility for her own actions, it is no wonder that she always stands like a rock in matters of principle. God save the Queen!

-- Eileen Sullivan --